Woman and Bird 1983

Joan Miró's "Woman and Bird" stands tall in Barcelona, a monumental sculpture exploding with playful color. The process feels immediate, the kind of direct, intuitive making that's less about planning and more about letting the materials speak. The textured surface of the concrete is punctuated by vibrant patches of red, yellow, blue and green ceramic tiles. These colours are laid down in the same spirit as an abstract expressionist painting. Look at the black void that runs down the centre of the piece. Is it a mouth? Or a womb? Maybe it’s both. Miró’s work shares an affinity with artists like Niki de Saint Phalle, who also embraced bold colours and whimsical forms. But what sets Miró apart is the sense of childlike wonder that permeates everything he created. His art reminds us that ambiguity is not a weakness, but a strength. It’s an invitation to bring our own stories, our own feelings, to the conversation.